Pflegebedürftigkeit

Abstract

In Germany, more than 2 million people are currently in need of care, and another 3 million need help below the threshold that entitles them to benefits by social legislation. Thus, the need of care, in contrast to the need of help, is a general risk recognised by legislation. Accordingly, the German long-term care insurance was introduced in 1994, where entitlement to benefits depends on the ability to perform activities of daily living; it neglects the requirements of care arising from gerontopsychiatric impairments. In this article, the concept of "need of care" will be critically discussed and the influence of demographic changes on the state of needing care will be explored. Against this background, future challenges of caregiving will be analysed. This analysis leads to a call for "mixed care arrangements", where family care can only be maintained by relying on professional relief and support of voluntary helpers, and where care institutions would have to define themselves as partners of families. This demand will have to be reflected in changed training concepts. Structurally, it is necessary to develop arrangements, which promote self-determined individual solutions, e.g. by implementing (personal) care budgets. Moreover, target group-orientated counselling offers and network structures will have to be established; in this respect, co-operative efforts between professional case management and voluntary work are exemplary approaches.